Contact Lenses?

[Brett]

I wear contacts and am planning on bringing 6 or 7 months worth of lenses. Any tips, tricks, suggestions from past thru hikers using contacts? Ill be taking a older pair of glasses just in case. Just curiious what everyone thinks about using contacts on the trail! Thanks

[karoberts]

I saw people do it, but I wouldn't do it myself - too dirty. I just wear my glasses.

[Hikerhead]

I wore my extended wear contacts on my 1 week section hikes without any problems. The only problem I have is finding a real small mirror. On my 4 day bike ride I brought a small round mirror that attaches to your car mirror. It was light and small but I could only see what was beside me.

[Hikes in Rain]

Best tip I can give as a 40-year wearer (!), clean hands! It can be a little tough, but it's worth everything. I use the base of a gallon milk jug as a wash basin; Ivory soap (no residue) and potable water.

[buff_jeff]

Not worth wearing them. It would suck to get an eye infection on the trail, and it's a hassle to keep track of them. Who are you trying to impress on the trail, anyway? Just rock the specs.

[sleeman13]

Not worth wearing them. It would suck to get an eye infection on the trail, and it's a hassle to keep track of them. Who are you trying to impress on the trail, anyway? Just rock the specs.

buff jeff...
i don't think people wear contacts to impress anyone. they are just more practical than glasses because contacts don't fog up and leave open the possibility of being damaged, therefore ruining your eye sight.

[Mikiniki]

I would also like to know any tips people have. I have extended wear that I can leave in for up to a month so they won't be a problem...unless I get **** in my eye....then that will suck. you can find little holders that have a 1in by 1in mirror, hold a lens case and a little bottle of solution...all smaller than a cell phone. I recommend one.

[Highway Man]

Best tip I can give as a 40-year wearer (!), clean hands! It can be a little tough, but it's worth everything. I use the base of a gallon milk jug as a wash basin; Ivory soap (no residue) and potable water.
Anything good about using alcohol based wipes, or baby wipe to clean up hands?

[Brett]

Thanks for all the opinions! I wouldnt mind wearing glasses but they are old work prescription saftey glasses and have scratchs that obstruct sight slightly. Ill probably just try and get my hands as clean as possible before putting in and taking out. Thanks again!

[Lellers]

I wear contacts on the trail for two reasons. My vision is MUCH better with lenses than with glasses, and I can wear sunglasses and protect my eyes from UV damage. I can't see a darn thing without glasses or lenses. It's a huge pain. When I say I can't see anything, I really do mean that I'm an old bat with bad eyes. I have clear vision for a depth of about 3 inches somewhere just beyond the end of my noses. Closer or further than that, and it's all a big fuzz ball of light. I NEED my lenses. I wear hard lenses, so just one pair. And they are bifocal lenses to boot. I clean, clean, clean my hands well before putting them in and taking them out, which I do only in my tent. Should I lose one, at least I know where to look. If you are using another type of shelter, I would suggest that you put something down to catch a dropped lens, such as a camp towel or bandanna, and then get down close to it when putting them in and taking out. I also use the bottom of a plastic milk jug as a little basin. I don't bother with a mirror, though. Anything with alcohol will sting like crazy, so I wouldn't recommend.

[Skyline]

If you can wear them, try the 30-day disposables. You don't take them out every night. You just need to keep contact lens drops handy to re-wet your eyes upon awakening and upon going to sleep (and maybe more if your eyes dry out more than most). Disposables eliminate almost all the problems with other types of contacts, and are far better than wearing glasses on the trail.

You should pack a pair of glasses in case you were to get an eye injury and couldn't wear contacts for awhile, and have access to replacement disposables, throughout your hike.

[karoberts]

I wore glasses on the trail and I admit that there are big problems.

#1 Fogging up: really freaking annoying
#2 Sweat dripping on glasses: ewwwww and hard to see through
#3 Sweating so much that glasses slipped off face
#4 Looked like a dork (my mom always told me - boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses - though I am spoken for so that doesn't matter so much)

[Blissful]

Make sure to take a copy of your prescription, just in case. You never know (and I needed mine on my hike when my glasses broke).

[Brett]

I wore glasses on the trail and I admit that there are big problems.

#1 Fogging up: really freaking annoying
#2 Sweat dripping on glasses: ewwwww and hard to see through
#3 Sweating so much that glasses slipped off face
#4 Looked like a dork (my mom always told me - boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses - though I am spoken for so that doesn't matter so much)

Lol at #4...i can only imagine what EVERYone looks like a month or 2 into the hike. Let alone smells like. Couldnt imagine anything further than making passes!

[Hitch]

I wear extended wear usually 7 to 10 days without removing them. Bounced extra contacts ahead and changed when I got to towns. Carried my glasses just in case. I've sectioned 1800 miles using this method without any problems.

[Hikes in Rain]

My contacts are absolutely essential for clear vision. Even my coke-bottle bottom thick glasses (bifocals now, which is just insulting!) hinder my vision as much as they help it. I lose peripheral visionion, the lenses are so think that the edges of what vision I have are distorted...I won't drive in them, because I can't trust what I see! Like others here have mentioned, all I can see without correction is vague shapes. I can't see the bit E on the eye chart, I can't see the chart, and I can't see the doctor standing beside the chart.

If the house was on fire, I'd be out with my pants and contacts. If I was in a hurry, I'd forget the pants.

I've tried the alcohol wipes, and I fret about the residues of the aroma/aloe/whaterver that some seem to leave behind. And the thought of getting some in my eye accidently....well...

In over 40 years of wearing lenses (geez, I'm getting old!), I've never had an eye infection. As I said in a previous post, WASH! Yes, it's a pain, yes, the saline, case, spare glasses (insurance plan, always!) dedicated to my eyes hand towel and such are a little heavy. But it's all essential weight, since I apparently didn't choose my genetics well.

[sasquatch2014]

A mirror is key for me I am one of those people who need the help of a mirror to find my eye. My wife on the other hand can take her lens out and put it back in while talking you you and never miss a beat. A small bit of hand sanitize which also can double as a fire starter followed p with a dash of water will work to clean hand/fingers.

I had the problem this past june of blinking a contact out while hiking in a downpour so there was no hope of getting a new lens back in those conditions i hiked the last 3 miles of the day with one eye closed on and off to keep depth perception. I have since replaced my glasses lost somewhere near the hostel outside of Harpers ferry.

[jersey joe]

I thru hiked with contacts and took them out every night. I mostly just washed my hands well with water. It worked out ok. Sure beat having to deal with glasses.

[KarenM982]

I'm using dailes for my 09 thru hike. It beats carrying solution and a carrying case, and I'll just stick a week's worth of them in my mail drops. I havent had any problems using contacts when I hike, I just clean my hands with leftover warm water from breakfast.

Has anyone has any problems with their contacts freezing? This has never happened to me and I'm sure the saline solution decreases the freezing point considerably, but I guess it could happen....

[Hikes in Rain]

When I hiked the southern half of the Smokies a couple of years ago, with temperatures in the low single digits (November), I just put the case into the sleeping bag with me. Eliminated the "cold shock" of sticking ice cold contacts into my eyes, too. Man, that's better than a cup of strong coffee with a shot of espresso in it as a wake-up!

[mindi]

I'm glad someone brought this up. I'm brand-new to glasses..only been wearing them for a few months, and they drive me crazy. I can't seem to keep them clean. I'm also worried about them sliding all over or falling off on the trail when I sweat or fall down (which happens often).
What to do?
I guess the 30-day disposables wouldn't be bad, but I'm a bit limited on maildrops so I'm not sure which hassle would be worse.
Nobody told me everything was going to go to hell as soon as I turned 30! :D

[Brett]

I guess the 30-day disposables wouldn't be bad, but I'm a bit limited on maildrops so I'm not sure which hassle would be worse.
:D

6 months worth of disposables (monthly-what im bringing) takes up about as much space as a pack of cigarettes. no need for mail drop. So if you smoke...quit smoking and replace that space with lenses :D

[rbonnett]

I went from glasses to soft (not extended wear) contacts last spring, so far about 20 nights in the woods with them. based on that I'd say:

That little travel case with the mirror in it was worth it to me. Kept things organized and I'm hopeless removing the lenses with no mirror.

I used hand sanitizer once! i can't describe the pain when the alcohol residue hit my eye!

I've used Ivory soap, just plain hot water and lots of rinsing my hands, and Castille soap wipes. The wipes worked good and are less messy than a gooey soap bar to carry around. You can probably get them online somewhere: I get mine at the Dr. when they leave me in the exam room :)

10 pairs of my lenses weigh 70 grams - I just weighed them. I don't plan on mailing them - they're one thing I definitely don't want to get lost in the mail

[Hikes in Rain]

I used hand sanitizer once! i can't describe the pain when the alcohol residue hit my eye!



You don't need to! I always rinsed well, but could always feel a slight burn from the residue I couldn't get off. Ivory and water. I need to look into the Castile wipes, though, nice tip!

[Runsalone]

I'm using dailes for my 09 thru hike. It beats carrying solution and a carrying case, and I'll just stick a week's worth of them in my mail drops. I havent had any problems using contacts when I hike, I just clean my hands with leftover warm water from breakfast.

Has anyone has any problems with their contacts freezing? This has never happened to me and I'm sure the saline solution decreases the freezing point considerably, but I guess it could happen....


It happened to me at standing indian. I woke up to 18 degrees and frozen everything. I just put on my glasses and hiked with my contact case in my pocket till they thawed. Took about an hour I guess.

That was a super cold morning anyway, I didnt even eat breakfast, just got out of the bag and packed up as fast as I could and started hiking my arse off, to get the body heat up. When I had breakfast later when I stopped, my cereal bars were like concrete! Wouldnt trade it for the BEST day off the trail;)

[windex]

I wore contacts... got some special ones from the doctor that I could sleep in. Everytime I got to town/hostel/etc... I gave my eyes a break and changed them out and wore my glasses for a day. I NEVER hiked with glasses on though. I also carried a small thing of sanitizer for times when I had to take them out at camp. I never got an eye infection. I have since led many backcountry trips with regular soft contacts and took them out every night, but I always washed my hands with care and also used the sanitizer.
I did get pink eye once while working in the Rockies... but that was from a cabin camper who I am sure spread it to me in the shower house.

[EverydayJourneyman]

I normally wear my disposable contacts every day and I'll bring a supply with me. But I'm under no illusion that I'll probably rock my glasses too. Just easier, though keeping them clean will be an issue (and not looking as cool). And sun glare.

[karoberts]

I got LASIK 5 weeks ago. I highly recommend it. You can get great deals right now because of the recession.

[FlyPaper]

You don't need to! I always rinsed well, but could always feel a slight burn from the residue I couldn't get off. Ivory and water. I need to look into the Castile wipes, though, nice tip!

I've section hiked a total of 300+ miles with contacts. It's a pain putting them in the morning. I also enjoy the slight burn from my hands after using hand sanitizer, but it's bearable. Between the wind, the cold hands (just rinsed with cold water to avoid the burn from hand-sanitizer), and no mirror, sometimes putting in contacts takes 10 or more minutes.

I can get by with no glasses, but would not enjoy the scenery quite as much. In spite of the hassle, I've found contacts to be worth the trouble.

[Kanati]

I wore glasses on the trail and I admit that there are big problems.

#1 Fogging up: really freaking annoying
#2 Sweat dripping on glasses: ewwwww and hard to see through
#3 Sweating so much that glasses slipped off face
#4 Looked like a dork (my mom always told me - boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses - though I am spoken for so that doesn't matter so much)


This is an echo of my mind except #4 which doesn't apply to me. Glasses are the biggest Pain in the A-- there is !!!!! I spent more time screwing with my glasses than hiking. The only freedom I had from them is when I broke them at cold springs shelter and had to hike 2 days to the NOC without them. The only problem was......I couldn't see the small rocks that I stumbled over or turned my ankle on.

P.S., A cute girl in glasses is still cute. The glasses just makes her more interesting. My wife has beautiful brown eyes that I still like to look into and she's worn glasses since she was 10. We've been married 39 years.

[handlebar]

I wore extended wear, the kind you can wear continuously for 30 days, on both the AT and PCT as I was concerned about the hygiene issue and possibility of losing the contacts while putting in/taking out. I carried an extra pair as well as my glasses (in case in spite of everything I got an eye infection). Took them out and wore glasses on zeros in towns to give the eyes a rest, but it really wasn't necessary. The only problem was that I had to carry reading glasses as they didn't make them in bifocals, though now they do. It's really great to wake up in the middle of the night and be able to see the stars.

[EverydayJourneyman]

I got LASIK 5 weeks ago. I highly recommend it. You can get great deals right now because of the recession.

I don't think I'm brave enough to coupon-shop when it comes to knives in my eyes.

[Hikes in Rain]

Lasers, actually, but I heartily agree with the sentiment!!

[blackyjones]

im heading out in two months, get lasik in two weeks. i cant imagine trying to deal with my contacts on the trail and i hate glasses, one other guy said it, and its true, great deals right now, recessions are good for something